Process for aligning macromolecules by passage of a meniscus and applications

• US 6,265,153 B1
• Filed: 02/10/1995
• Issued: 07/24/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Centre National De La Recherche Scientifique, Institut Pasteur
• Original Assignee: Centre National De La Recherche Scientifique, Institut Pasteur
• Inventors: Bensimon, Aaron, Bensimon, David, Heslot, François
• Primary Examiner(s): FREDMAN, JEFFREY NORMAN
• Application Number:
  US08/386,485
• Time in Patent Office: 2,356 Days
• Field of Search: 435/6, 435/5, 435/91.1, 435/91.2, 536/24.37, 536/24.33, 536/24.5, 536/26.6, 514/14
• US Class Current: 435/6.19
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00387 Applications using probes
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00527 Sheets
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00576 fluorophore
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00596 Solid-phase processes
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00608 DNA chips
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/0061 The surface being organic
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00612 the surface being inorganic
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00626 Covalent
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00628 Ionic
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/0063 Other, e.g. van der Waals forces, hydrogen bonding
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00637 by coating it with another layer
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00659 Two-dimensional arrays
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00677 Ex-situ synthesis followed by deposition on the substrate
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00722 Nucleotides
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 1/68 involving nucleic acids
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 1/6816 characterised by the detection means C12Q1/6804 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 1/682 Signal amplification
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 1/6834 Enzymatic or biochemical coupling of nucleic acids to a solid phase
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 2565/518 characterised by the immobilisation of the nucleic acid sample or target
• CPC Class Codes: C40B 40/06 Libraries containing nucleotides or polynucleotides, or derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C40B 60/14 : for creating libraries
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/6803 : General methods of protein analysis not limited to specific proteins or families of proteins
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 435/969 : Multiple layering of reactants
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 435/97 : Test strip or test slide
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 530/81 : Carrier - bound or immobilized peptides or proteins and the preparation thereof, e.g. biological cell or cell fragment as carrier
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 530/811 : Peptides or proteins is immobilized on, or in, an inorganic carrier
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/143333 : Saccharide [e.g., DNA, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/145555 : Hetero-N

Abstract

A process for aligning a macromolecule (macromolecules) on the surface S of a support is characterized in that the triple line S/A/B (meniscus) resulting from the contact between a solvent A and the surface S and a medium B is caused to move on the said surface S, the said macromolecules having a part, especially an end, anchored on the surface S, the other part, especially the other end, being in solution in the solvent A. The subject of the present invention is also a process for detecting, measuring the intramolecular distance of, separating and/or assaying a macromolecule in a sample in which a process of alignment according to the invention is used.

Claims

1. A process for adhering a nucleic acid strand to a support, wherein the process comprises:

(A) contacting a support comprising a glass surface, which has one end of at least one nucleic acid strand anchored thereto, with an aqueous solution having a meniscus between the glass surface, the aqueous solution, and an atmosphere in contact with the aqueous solution;

wherein the aqueous solution has a pH of about 5 to about 10, and further wherein the nucleic acid strand has another end that is movable in said aqueous solution beyond its anchored end; and

(B) slowly moving the nucleic acid strand through the meniscus and into said atmosphere to cause the nucleic acid strand to adhere to the glass surface and to become stationary on said surface after passage of said strand through the meniscus.

2. A product of the process of claim 1.

3. A process for aligning nucleic acid strands on a support, wherein the process comprises:

(A) providing a support comprising a glass surface having one end of more than one nucleic acid strand anchored to said surface;

(B) contacting the glass surface and the anchored nucleic acid strands with an aqueous solution having a meniscus between the glass surface, the aqueous solution, and an atmosphere in contact with the aqueous solution, wherein the aqueous solution has a pH of about 5 to about 10, and further wherein the other ends of the nucleic acid strands are movable about their anchored ends in the aqueous solution; and

(C) moving the meniscus, with minimum hydrodynamic shear, relative to the nucleic acid strands to cause the strands to enter the atmosphere and to become substantially linear, wherein the resulting linear nucleic acid strands adhere to the glass surface, are stationary on said surface after passage of the meniscus.

4. A product of the process of claim 3.

5. A process for adhering a nucleic acid strand to a support, wherein the process comprises:

(A) contacting a support comprising a glass surface, which has one end of at least one nucleic acid strand anchored thereto, with an aqueous solution, which has a pH of about 5 to about 10, to form a meniscus between the glass surface, the aqueous solution, and an atmosphere in contact with the aqueous solution;

wherein the nucleic acid strand has another end that is movable in the aqueous solution beyond its anchored end; and

(B) slowly moving the nucleic acid strand through the meniscus and into said atmosphere to cause the nucleic acid strand to stretch and to adhere to the glass surface;

wherein the nucleic acid strand remains stretched and is stationary on said support after passage of said strand through the meniscus.

6. A product of the process of claim 5.

7. A process for aligning nucleic acid strands on a support, wherein the process comprises:

(A) providing a support comprising a glass surface having one end of more than one nucleic acid strand anchored to said surface;

(B) contacting the glass surface and the anchored nucleic acid strands with an aqueous solution, which has a pH of about 5 to about 10, to form a meniscus between the glass surface, the aqueous solution, and an atmosphere in contact with the aqueous solution, wherein the other ends of the nucleic acid strands are movable in the aqueous solution about their anchored ends; and

(C) moving the meniscus, with minimum hydrodynamic shear, relative to the nucleic acid strands to cause the strands to stretch and to become substantially linear, wherein the resulting linear nucleic acid strands are stationary on said support, remain stretched after passage of the meniscus.

8. A product of the process of claim 7.